For the Ravens to reach Festivus Maximus, they’ll have to win two big postseason games on the road just like they did 2000. Baltimore heads to the mile-high city, where Vegas sees them as nine point underdogs to the Broncos.
Head coach John Harbaugh should use the us against the world strategy with his mighty men just as Brian Billick did with the Ravens during their run to Tampa. Bulletin board material like these piece from Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post should help Harbs fire up his guys.
If this rust belt town needed a bib to catch all the sentimental tears shed at the last home game of iconic linebacker Ray Lewis, how is Baltimore going to handle the emotional breakdown when the Broncos force him into retirement as a loser?
“When” not “if”? That’s awful confident for a team that’s won just one playoff game since 2005.
But, like Lewis, their very passionate but washed-up warrior, the Ravens now seem better at striking a pose than striking fear in the hearts of a foe.
“Washed-up”, eh? Lewis led the Ravens defense with 13 tackles against the Colts.
The MVP-caliber season being produced by Manning at age 36, after missing more than a year while rehabilitating from four neck surgeries, is all the more remarkable when you watch the 37-year-old Lewis drop an interception. He botched a certain pick against the Colts, when the football rattled off the bulky brace worn to protect his weakened right arm.
Not sure what one injury has to do with another, but I don’t know many players that return five weeks after tearing their triceps. But let’s not compare injuries, let’s instead focus on Peyton Manning postseason numbers against the Ravens: 2 games, 416 yards (208 yards per game), 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.
I’ve seen Manning choke under postseason pressure. He’s 3-4 career in Divisional Playoff Games and isn’t comfortable in cold weather. I wouldn’t overlook the Ravens in this one.
The more I see columns list Kiszla’s, the more I like Baltimore’s chances of upsetting the over-confident Broncos.
These were the comments I left for this jerk … Thanks for sharing!
Pretty cocky, dude – “when the Broncos”, not “if the Broncos” … Peyton isn’t exactly money in the playoffs and he doesn’t play well when it is cold outside – The Ravens go on the road & win in January – it is a fact … By the way, nice that you added the Broncos beat the Ravens WITHOUT Ray Lewis or Dannell Ellerbe … We will see on Saturday!
Some of your brethren have come to our site and run their mouths off so thought i would return the sentiments.
If the ravens have to go hunt up the articles from quite possibly the worst sports reporter in Denver to gain some sort of INSPIRATION than i can’t help but feel sorry for ya(not really).Point all you want to Mannings record with the colts,means NOTHING.This Denver team is better than any team he has played with before.
And don’t forget that powerhouse playoff record of the ravens ,awe inspiring right.Your team isn’t the only one with injuries during the last beat down so look for positives any way you can i guess.Lets see how long it takes for them to be sucking on the oxygen masks he.Please,Please try to attack Manning like they did with that rookie QB you guys are so proud of making look like,well a rookie…..
Good luck(not really)
BTW, I do agree with you about sucking wind up there in Denver because our assclown of a coach, Harbaugh isn’t taking the team to Denver until late. Dumb move on his part… Team needs to get used to the air up there…
But your choke artist, Manning really plays tight against the Ravens in the playoffs and he’s playing a 17+ game schedule for the first time in what 3 years and now he has to play in the cold weather this year. Doesn’t look good for Manning.
I’m thinking 20-13 Ravens…
The cold weather stuff can all be put to rest if you actually look deeper into those games. He may have lost a fair amount of “cold weather” games in the playoffs, but they were all on the road against #1 or #2 seeds where he actually played admirably. Like it’s been said, this Bronco team is the best all around team he’s played on and BY FAR the best defense he’s had. He doesn’t have to carry this team like he had to with the Colts because the defense has created turnovers and gotten big sacks when they needed to.
Von,
To set the record straight, the 41-0 loss at New York wasn’t against a # 1 or 2 seed. NYJ were a 4 seed with Chad Pennington behind center to put more salt in the wound. Manning was 14-31, 137 yards, 0 TD’s, 2 Int’s. The New England games were against the # 1 seed both times but he was still 23-47, 237 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int’s in the first game. 27-42, 238 yards, 0 TD’s, 1 Int in the second game. The last time he was in this situation was back in 2005 so who knows if its even a factor at this point. There are so many stats to look at it can make you cross eyed. You are correct in my mind however that he hasn’t had a defense like this in the past so I think the Ravens do have their hands full. The main thing the Ravens have is almost all of their guys have been in this situation before and won. The Broncos haven’t.
Don’t bank on the “intangibles” and “what ifs” such as cold weather, hasn’t played a 17 game schedule in 3 years, and his track record with the Colts. What you can bank on is his offense is the #2 scoring offense in the NFL, the Bronco defense is the #4 scoring defense in the NFL (#1 AFC), he’s playing at home, at altitude, with 2 weeks prep, against a defense that is coming off a short week in which they were on the field for 87 plays and close to 40 minutes.
takes more than 2-3 days to get used to the air but your right not a wise move by the coach.It’s even more difficult when its cold.
Mannings putting up about 300 plus yds,3 td’s a game while playing in that cold weather you guys keep saying is a problem for him so i wouldn’t count on that.
Manning grow up from a colt to a stallion named Thunder,you might have seen him mounted on the south stands of the Broncos stadium.All trash talk aside you can’t be real confident the defense is going to slow him down very much.
Sorry, but Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe do not account for 28 points difference (the margin of the game midway through the 4th quarter in the last meeting). It’s going to be a closer game this time around for a longer period of time, but Denver still wins by at least 10.
The Broncos have won, what, one playoff game in the last 5 years?!? I think the Ravens will be competitive in this game and I can see them pulling out a close game.
go-broncos, actually glad to have you comment on here. That was me who posted in the Denver Rag so that we can get some friendly(?) banter going for this weeks game.
You see, we get the Steeler fans over here but of course they are not in the playoffs this year so they can only cry in their piss yellow towels…
Thanks for coming over and hopefully we can have some fun prior to the game.
I appreciate the invite. I always love a little friendly banter with the opposing team’s fans.
Von, that’s why I came over to the Denver Rag so that you guys would come over here. It was too quiet this week. Need to have some banter during game week.
Glad to have you and any other Bronco fans who want to comment. A little friendly banter won’t hurt anyone…
I’ll have to come back here tomorrow and Friday. Things are just heatin up on this end!
Definately come back… It will keep getting better each day… Look forward to your comments…
Read your comments on the Bronco site and have to say,grasping at straws a little aren’t we?Counting on 2 old,slow,injured lb’s sounds a little desperate.to me.And calling Manning a choke artist with flathead flacco as the starter,guessing you might trade qbs if you could.
I get trying to remain positive but saying the defense is finally getting better,not sure where that comes from considering a rookie qb threw all over them,just couldn’t score points.Mannings going to do better with that and i hope they try to attack him like the did last week.The hurry up master of reading defense is going after lewis,count on it..
Why does the Broncos success in the past 7 years have anything to do with Saturday’s matchup? I don’t think we had Von Miller or Peyton Manning in the past 7 years (we had Von last year for our one playoff win in that time period). Completely different team this time around.
Ray Lewis had 13 tackles against the Colts… Whooipity Doo!!! He’s a shell of himself and was graded out by multiple sports outlets as the worst Baltimore defender on the field that day. The Baltimore defense gives up, on average, an entire yard per pass more when Ray Lewis IS playing than when he isn’t. He is not a difference maker anymore, Suggs is playing less than 100%, Kruger will get swallowed by either of our tackles, and Manning just toys with Ed Reed until he goes over top to beat Kerry Williams for 6. Good luck pigeons!
Some of you Bronco fans have the nerve to talk about the Ravens “old players”?
LMAO, this from a team lead by Broken Neck Manning, Champ Bailey, and Ravens retread Willis McGahee!!!
Hey, how’s the other old fart guy you have that parades around the field in a Broncos trash can?
You guys are toast. Shoulda stuck with Tebow!
our two old guys are playing at a pro bowl level,playing about as good as they ever have which is FUTURE HOF STATUS …..how about yours ?NO WAIT they can’t even seem to get on the feild very much,let alone play like a pro bowler………..
you really should know something about what you shoot your mouth off about……..BARREL MAN passed away several yrs ago…….
your intelligence shows when Tebow is the best trash talking you can come up with……pathetic…….
Looks like the thin air has gone to your head ‘go-broncos’,,,,,,,,,,it’s a wonder anyone in Denver has any brain capacity at all , oh that’s it , they don’t know how to measure brain capacity in Denver , so they speak in escape mechanisms,,,,,,,,,,,,,you are a credit to your town,,,,,,,,,,,,
OUCH, that really hurts……………questioning my brain capacity and all……
I knew Barrel Man passed. Smoked himself to death.
Speaking of smoking, that’s what’s going to happen to your team. Our “old farts” will run roughshod on your old “pro bowlers”. I would say “talk to me next week”, but you will disappear into the thin Denver air never to be heard from again…
This just in…Champ Bailey looks REALLY OLD.
Should be Toast Bailey.
All the Broncos Boys here this week talked about the “old Ravens” and yet their old club with Peyton throwing the key pick and Toast Bailey getting burned…Goodnight Broncos!!!!!!!
Where’s go-broncos and deepwater and Von Manning? I thought the Pigeons were old?!?!
RAVENS WIN! RAVENS WIN!!!
Cold Weather + Playoffs + Manning = CHOKE!
Chump Bailey looked like the only old guy in the game!!!
And their young guy, Knowshit Moreno was the one who got hurt!